Manchester United have finally made a breakthrough in their pursuit of Carlos Baleba.
Baleba has been on United’s radar since last summer, but Brighton’s reluctance to sell saw the Red Devils pursue several midfield alternatives before returning to the negotiating table for the Cameroon international.
However, a one-year wait has helped United get their dream midfield target for a significantly lower fee.
Brighton initially wanted record-breaking fee for Carlos Baleba
Speaking on The Athletic’s Talk Of The Devils’ podcast, Andy Mitten revealed that Brighton wanted more for Carlos Baleba than what they received for Moises Caicedo, who remains their record sale at £115 million.
Carlos Baleba endured a difficult last campaign and, still, it is understood the Seagulls’ asking price at the start of this window was around £80m.
Earlier this week, The Athletic reported that United made an offer of around £60m plus £5m in add-ons for Carlos Baleba. However, Brighton & Hove Albion did not accept that offer.
Now, we finally have a “here we go” from Fabrizio Romano, confirming a verbal agreement is in place between United and Brighton.
How much Manchester United are paying for Carlos Baleba
The Italian transfer expert claims that Brighton have accepted United’s improved offer of £65m plus £5m in add-ons.
🚨🔴 The exclusive update of the night: Manchester United sign Carlos Baleba for £65m plus £5m add-ons.
Here we go. 🇨🇲 pic.twitter.com/bMOVqY4GQX
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 21, 2026
The Athletic’s David Ornstein has corroborated that a deal worth £70m, including bonuses, has been agreed. Furthermore, a sell-on clause has been included in the deal.
Baleba is expected to travel tonight before his medical on Saturday. The Cameroonian will sign a five-year contract with an option to extend for another year.
The 22-year-old has been waiting for his dream move since last summer and supposedly made it clear to his camp that he only wants to move to the red side of Manchester.
Baleba will become United’s third midfield signing this summer following Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, and the former Lille prodigy is certainly the most exciting addition given his immense potential.
Blessed with extraordinary athleticism, Baleba is a powerful ball-carrier who is extremely hard to dispossess. His elite ground coverage would allow Kobbie Mainoo, Santos and Tielemans to thrive in the middle of the park, irrespective of what combination Michael Carrick picks.
Meanwhile, INEOS can be happy that they have landed a long-term target at a discount of around £45m.
Featured image Mike Hewitt via Getty Images
